Early black-figure workshops of Athens and Corinth: A study in reciprocal artistic influences.

Abstract

This study focuses on reciprocal artistic influences between the pottery workshops of Athens and Corinth from circa 625 to 575. The chronological span of this study represents an important period of transition in the balance of trade and economic power between Corinth and Athens, the two leading producers of fine painted pottery at this time. In the previous scholarly literature, a general consensus exists that the transmission of artistic influence between Athens and Corinth was a simple process with influence travelling at first in only one direction, from Corinth to Athens. In the second quarter of the sixth century, it is generally accepted that this situation changes with Athens becoming the dominant pottery center, influencing Corinth. This existing model of influence is far too simplistic, arising from two factors in the scholarship. Due to the lack of standard historical sources for Athens in the seventh century, Corinth has acquired a primacy in the scholarship dealing. Also until very recently, there has been too limited an understanding of the Corinthian pottery of the period. By using new methodological approaches and asking different questions of the ceramic evidence, a better understanding of the interaction of Corinthian and Attic artists emerges. The application of methods borrowed from prehistorians compensates for the lack of written sources for Athens in this period. Recent work applying the principles of artistic hand attribution to Corinthian pottery, a technique long used for Attic pottery, now provides a basis of painters and workshops, greatly increasing our understanding of Corinthian pottery. Close examination of the Attic and Corinthian pottery from the last quarter of the seventh century and the first quarter of the sixth demonstrates that the interactions between the artists of these cities was more complex than previously thought. Influence in this period truly was reciprocal. From the beginning, Attic potters created forms and systems of decoration which the Corinthian potter adopted. Attic potters also adopted and modified Corinthian forms and systems of decoration. Moreover, these patterns of artistic influence show close connections between specific pottery workshops at Athens and Corinth.